Page 995 - of-human-bondage-

who knew the world and the facts of life, and she had taken
the risk with her eyes open. It would be madness to allow
such an accident to disturb the whole pattern of his life. He
was one of the few people who was acutely conscious of the
transitoriness of life, and how necessary it was to make the
most of it. He would do what he could for Sally; he could
afford to give her a sufficient sum of money. A strong man
would never allow himself to be turned from his purpose.
Philip said all this to himself, but he knew he could not
do it. He simply could not. He knew himself.
‘I’m so damned weak,’ he muttered despairingly.
She had trusted him and been kind to him. He simply
could not do a thing which, notwithstanding all his reason,
he felt was horrible. He knew he would have no peace on
his travels if he had the thought constantly with him that
she was wretched. Besides, there were her father and moth-
er: they had always treated him well; it was not possible to
repay them with ingratitude. The only thing was to marry
Sally as quickly as possible. He would write to Doctor South,
tell him he was going to be married at once, and say that if
his offer still held he was willing to accept it. That sort of
practice, among poor people, was the only one possible for
him; there his deformity did not matter, and they would
not sneer at the simple manners of his wife. It was curious
to think of her as his wife, it gave him a queer, soft feel-
ing; and a wave of emotion spread over him as he thought
of the child which was his. He had little doubt that Doctor
South would be glad to have him, and he pictured to him-
self the life he would lead with Sally in the fishing village.

Of Human Bondage